Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb douter

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The English translation of the French verb douter is “to doubt.” The infinitive form is pronounced “doo-tay.”

The word douter comes from the Latin verb dubitare, meaning “to hesitate” or “to waver.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, the verb douter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express doubt, uncertainty, or hesitation in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Imparfait tense (j’avais, tu avais, il/elle avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils/elles avaient) followed by the past participle of douter (douté).

Here are three simple examples of douter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je doutais qu’il soit honnête. (I doubted that he was honest.)
  2. Tu doutais que nous réussissions. (You doubted that we would succeed.)
  3. Il doutait qu’elle ait compris. (He doubted that she had understood.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express doubt about a past event or situation. The verb douter is also commonly used in this tense in phrases such as “Je ne doute pas que…” (I have no doubt that…) or “Je doute que…” (I doubt that…).

In English, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is often translated as the past tense or the conditional tense, depending on the context. It is a subtle tense in French and is used to express a nuance of doubt or hesitation in the past.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of douter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je doutasse J’avais peur que je doutasse de mes capacités. I was afraid that I would doubt my abilities.
tu doutasses Si tu étudiais plus, tu doutasses moins de toi-même. If you studied more, you would doubt yourself less.
il doutât Il serait déçu si il doutât de ses choix. He would be disappointed if he doubted his choices.
elle doutât Elle serait surprise si elle doutât de sa décision. She would be surprised if she doubted her decision.
on doutât Si on doutât moins, on se sentirait plus confiant. If one doubted less, one would feel more confident.
nous doutassions Si nous doutassions de tout, nous ne ferions rien. If we doubted everything, we would do nothing.
vous doutassiez Si vous doutassiez de votre petite amie, vous devriez la quitter. If you doubted your girlfriend, you should leave her.
ils doutassent S’ils doutassent de leur succès, ils ne le poursuivraient pas. If they doubted their success, they wouldn’t pursue it.
elles doutassent Si elles doutassent de leur choix, elles changeraient d’avis. If they doubted their choice, they would change their minds.

Other Conjugations for Douter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb douter

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Douter – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb douter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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